China orders citizens to get rid of their pets due to coronavirus threat

Now animals are paying heavy price coronavirus threat as the authorities in China orders citizens to get rid of their pets. Their are news that people are killing their pets (mainly dogs and cats) by throwing them off the building.

There are numerous incidents in China where dogs were beaten to death mercilessly because of coronavirus threat.

However, there are people who are trying to find other solutions like dogs masks and dog suits.

Coronavirus could have spread to humans from bats via pangolins - Source

A new research from China reveals that the novel corona virus that has killed hundreds of infected persons in Wuhan from the Hubei province in China and infected thousands across the world could have spread to humans via bats mediated via another species of animals – pangolins.

Researchers noted that pangolins are one of the most illegally trafficked animals in Asia mainly because these are the only species of scaled mammals. These mammals are trafficked for food as well as for the medicinal properties of their scales using in traditional Chinese medicine. Their poaching and trading is controlled by the international law says the World Wildlife Fund, but sales remain undaunted under cover in Asia and Africa. There has been a ban on trade and sale of pangolins since 2016 and their survival is at risk says the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) due to their high demands. These pangolins especially the Malayan pangolins are critically endangered and belong to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

South China Agricultural University, in a statement on their website said, “This latest discovery will be of great significance for the prevention and control of the origin (of the virus).” The researchers working on this new finding were working on this project at this institute in collaboration with a team of scientists at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. Till date nearly 900 individuals are known to have been killed by the novel corona virus. The virus first was reported on the 31st of December 2019 and since then investigations have traced back its origins to the exotic meat and sea food markets in China’s Wuhan. All forms of exotic meat sales have been banned since then. The researchers have been trying to figure out the source of the virus and its transmission via other animals to humans.

This new study shows that bats could be spreading the virus and this final link from bats to humans could be pangolins. For this study the team looked at the genes and genomic sequences of the novel coronavirus isolated from pangolins. These viruses were 99 percent similar to the virus samples obtained from the infected individuals said the researchers. This makes it most likely the pangolins are the “intermediate host” say researchers. Twenty one Malayan pangolins (Manis javanica) studied at the wildlife rescue centre in China’s Guangdong province have very similar viral genomic picture compared to persons infected with the nCoV-2019 or novel corona virus, wrote the researchers.

What are the symptoms of coronavirus?

First of all, coronaviruses are a group of different viruses—and the symptoms of the current newsworthy strain of coronavirus, 2019-nCoV, differ from other coronavirus strains. According to the CDC, there are three main symptoms of the current illness: Fever, cough, and shortness of breath—all symptoms similar to the common cold or flu. 

The CDC explains that “at this time” symptoms appear to arise in as few as 2 days after exposure or as long as 14 days after. “This is based on what has been seen previously as the incubation period of MERS viruses [another type of coronavirus].” Even scarier, is that some people with the virus show “little to no symptoms,” while others fall “severely ill” and die. 

"What we know is it causes pneumonia and then doesn't respond to antibiotic treatment, which is not surprising, but then in terms of mortality, SARS [another type of coronavirus] kills 10% of the individuals," Scientist Leo Poon, a virologist at the School of Public Health at The University of Hong Kong, who first decoded the virus, told CNN recently. 

Because symptoms of 2019-nCoV are so similar to those of the cold or flu, it's important not to jump to conclusions—especially if you live in the US, since, per the CDC, this strain of coronavirus hasn't been spread from person-to-person within the US yet (all infected people have recently traveled to Wuhan, China). Still, if you are experiencing fever, cough, and difficulty breathing, the World Health Organization (WHO) suggests seeking medical care early, sharing any previous travel history with your healthcare provider. 

How can you protect yourself from coronavirus?

The WHO suggests a variety of safety measures to take to keep yourself safe from the novel coronavirus, which include hand and respiratory hygiene, and safe food practices.

First and foremost, it's advised that people frequently clean their hands with soap and water or by using alcohol-based hand gel. It's also important that, when coughing and sneezing, people always cover their mouth and nose with their elbow or a tissue (and then immediately throwing that used tissue away and washing their hands). People should also try their best to avoid others who have a fever or cough.

According to the WHO—and this information is less pertinent to those in the US—when visiting live markets in areas currently experiencing cases of novel coronavirus, avoid direct unprotected contact with live animals and surfaces in contact with animals. Also, avoid consuming raw or undercooked animal products. Raw meat, milk or animal organs should be handled with care, to avoid cross-contamination with uncooked foods, as per good food safety practices.

Still, it's important to keep in mind that, while the news cycle surrounding this new Wuhan coronavirus can seem scary, the CDC maintains that the risk to the US general population is low at this time.

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